1 TEACHING WRITING IN RECOUNT TEXT BY USING CLUSTERING TECHNIQUE
TEACHING WRITING IN RECOUNT TEXT BY USING
CLUSTERING TECHNIQUE
Pratiwi Kusuma Wardani, Albert Rufinus, Eusabinus Bunau
English Education Study Program, Language and Arts Education Department,
FKIP, Tanjungpura University
e-mail : ardani.kusuma.ak@gmail.com
Abstract
This research is teaching writing recount text by using clustering technique on the
eighth grade students of SMP N 8 Pontianak in Academic Year 2016/2017. The
research question were “does the use of clustering technique affect significantly in
writing recount text on the eighth grade students of SMP N 8 Pontianak and if does
what is the effect.” . The method of the research is experimental research and use pre-
experimental research design with the sample of 32 students who were eighth grade
“VIII B” of SMP N 8 Pontianak in academic year 2016/2017.The research findings
showed that there was improvement on students achievement in writing recount text.
Based on the result, there is different significant different students’ achievement. The
mean core of pre-test was 61.17 while the post- test was 77.34. The students’achievement was improved by different score between pre-test and post-test was 16.17.
The t-test score (9.51) was higher than t-table (2.040) at degree of freedom (df) = N1
(32-1=31) and the result of the effect size is 1.7 where the category is strong effect. The
null hypothesis (Ho) was rejected. Because t-value > t-table (9,51 > 2,040) on the level
of significance 0,05 and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted Keywords : clustering technique, writing, recount text, SMP N 8 Pontianak.
INTRODUCTION sharing personal meanings and
emphasize the power of the individual to Language is one of the most important construct their own views on a topic (p. things in communication and it is used
9). It means that, writing is really as a tool of communication among the important tool for human being ; it is nations in all over the world. As an used for written communication.. On the international language, English is very other hands, it is the way to express and important and has many inter share some ideas, opinion, experience relationships with various aspects of life and information on a topic in the form of owned by human being. In Indonesia, written language. It can be inferred that,
English considered as the first foreign writing is important skill for daily life, language and taught formally from because it can be used as one of the ways elementary school up to the university to communicate, share and expressed level. some ideas, opinions, experience, and
In English, there are four skills that information to other people. should be mastered by the students, they
Harmer (2004) s tated that “being are: listening, speaking, reading, and able to write is an important skill for writing. Writing is one of the important “speakers” or foreign languages” (p. 3). skills in English. According to Hyland
Teaching writing should be attention by (2003) stated that writing is a way of
English language teacher. as a teachers need to focus the students on what will they write whether it is about kind about texts or just like shopping list. According to the Brown (2000), for many years writing teachers most concerned on the written product (p. 335). On the other words, the students attention was directed to the “what” rather than the “how” of the text construction. Its product expected students to only analyses texts in terms of what language they used how they were constructed. Writing is the process, so the teaching of writing has to move away from the concentration on the written product to an emphasize on the process of writing.
Based on interviewed with English teacher, the eighth grade students had difficulties in writing because of the lack of vocabulary and grammatical pattern. On the other words, the students had to write a paragraph using vocabulary, grammar, and rhetoric steps appropriately but they were still lack off vocabulary and grammatical pattern. Thus the teacher is reluctant student to ask student to write a paragraph. Then, the writer had conducted interviews Junior High School students on the eighth grade and they said that their teacher was rarely asked them to write a paragraph. Therefore, students cannot write a paragraph well.
Writing skill is one of the English language skills which are taught to Junior High School students in English lesson. Besides that in the school level curriculum (Kurikulum KTSP) there are four language skills should be taught to the students. They are speaking, listening, reading and writing. However Jack C. Richard (2002) said that “writing is the most difficult skills for second language learner to master” (p. 303). In line with this statements, there are many factors make writing to be good one such as grammatical, vocabularies, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling knowledge in a good and meaningful sentence or paragraph. Having the ability of writing help the students to be able to communicate because it has many advantages which will be useful for students. Based on Kurikulum KTSP ,the standard competency of English Writing in Eighth grade of Junior High School is enable student to make a simple recount text about an activity that happened. Recount is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. Its purpose is to reconstruct past experience by retelling events in original sequences..
In Junior High School, writing is one of difficult subject. They always find difficulties in learning writing. The major difficulty is lack of vocabulary. Besides, they are difficult to visualize the ideas while writing. They need a lot of time to think about the ideas itself and hard to visualize it thus it makes the learning process is not efficient. But they do not have enough skill to follow the writing subject. It happens because they are rarely practice writing both in the classroom and beyond the class. Therefore, they always find some difficulties in learning writing.
To solve these problems, the teacher must be creative to use suitable technique in writing especially writing in recount text. There are a lot of techniques and methods in teaching associate the ideas, how to write down the ideas that exist in their minds.
- – learning process that can motivate students. The writer would like to propose an alternative technique named “Clustering Technique”. According to Kalandadze (2007), clustering is making a visual map of the ideas (p. 6). And also Cathy D’Aoust (cited in Carol 1987, p. 11) stated that clustering can be used in the prewriting. Moreover clustering is the creative prewriting technique, because when the writer is creating a clustering technique, they try to find things related to the topic which is visualized their idea into the diagram shape. It is might be helpful for the writer to understanding the relationships among the main topic and for developing subtopics. In line with this, Clustering helps the students to
From explanations above, the writer would like to conduct a pre experimental in researching more about teaching writing by using clustering technique (pre-experimental on the eighth grade students of SMP N 8 Pontianak in academic year 2016/2017).
The method of the research was experimental research and used pre- experimental research design. According to Cresswell (2012), in an experiment research, the writer tests an idea (practice or procedure) to determine whether it influences outcome or dependent variable (p. 295). In this research, the writer applied a pre-experimental research design. Cohen (2005) emphasized that, in pre experimental research design there are three steps; pre-test, treatment and post-test (p. 213). Pre-test is a test administered to recognize the students’ mastery before giving the treatment. The treatment is applied after pre-test given to the student.
giving the treatment. The treatment is applied after pre-test given to the student.
This research uses cluster random sampling to choose the sample. According to Dr. H. Mundir (2012), clustering random sampling is chosen by taking random sample of specific groups (p. 16). In this technique, the total population is divided into groups (or clusters) and a group is selected as a sample. In this case the sample was class VIII B, which consists of 32 students of the first semester.
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Research Finding
In conducting this research, the writer collected some data to be analyzed. The data was taken from one class that is VIIIA since this research was categorized as pre- experimental research. The data is calculated to show mean score of pre-test and post- test, significant test of students’ score, and effect size analysis from the treatment. The summary of the results of pre-test and post-test were presented in Table 1.
Post-test is a test administered to recognize the students’ mastery after
Table 1 . The Students’ Score in Pre-test and Post Test
The Result of Students’ Pre-test The Result of Students’ Post-test
The writer applied this research in five meetings. The meetings were pre-test, three times of treatments, and post-test participated by 32 students for class VIII B. The meetings started on October 18th to November 1st, 2016. The meetings were applied continually which could be described as follow.
Before conducting the treatment, the writer implemented the pre-test to the students. The pre-test was given before the treatment. The purpose of the pre-test was
∑ = . ∑ = ̅ = .
̅ = 77.34 to know the students’ achievement before the treatments given. The pre-test was given to 32 students of VIII B of SMPN 8 Pontianak, on October 18th, 2016. In pre- test the students were asked to write a recount text. The topic was about holiday in West Kalimantan; Going to Alun-Alun Kapuas.
And then, the treatment was writing recount text by using clustering technique. The treatment was given three times. It was held after the pre-test given on October 19th, 25th, 26th, 2016. The treatments were given step by step continually. In the first meeting, the writer together with the students made clustering technique and wrote recount text in group. In the second meeting, the writer asked them to make another clustering technique with different title and wrote recount text in pairs. In the third meeting, the writer asked them to make another their own clustering technique with different title and wrote recount text individually. The topic was about holiday in West Kalimantan which was divided into some titles, namely Going to Equator Monument, Going to
Mega Mall, and Going to Tanjung Bajau Beach.
And the last, After the treatments, the students were given the post-test. The post- test was held on November 1st, 2016 and followed by all of the VIII B students of SMPN 8 Pontianak. The instructions were the same as in the pre-test. In the post-test the students were asked to write a recount text about holiday in West Kalimantan which was divided into some titles, namely
Going to Pasir Panjang beach. The purpose was to know the students’ achievement
after the treatments given. After administered two tests, the writer found the significant difference between two tests. It was proved that the mean score after the treatment was higher. The mean score of pre-test was 61.17 and there was an improvement in post-test that was 77.34. It can be seen that the diffference between two tests was 19. The following table presents the summmary of difference score between pre-test and post-test.
Table 2. The Process of Computation of the Test Significance of
the Interval Score of Pre-test and Post Test
No Students’ Code Pre-Test (X
1 AM 57,5 80 22,5 506,25
9 GJ 72,5 85 12,5 156,25
1 ) Post-Test (X 2 ) Interval D
16 MF 47,5 72,5 25 625
15 MM 52,5 85 32,5 1056,25
14 MP 57,5 77,5 20 400
75 10 100
65
13 KKT
12 IS 65 87,5 22,5 506,25
11 IARP 75 87,5 12,5 156,25
90 15 225
75
10 GS
70 10 100
2 AR 32,5 52,5 20 400
60
8 EN
25
(X 2 -X 1) Interval D 2
7 DWY 67,5 72,5
25
5
60
55
6 CA
5 AIN 67,5 70 2,5 6,25
4 ABW 35 67,5 35 1225
3 AW 60 82,5 22,5 506,25
5 Moreover, the writer applied this research in five meetings. The meetings were pre-test, three times of treatments,
From the data analysis above, clustering technique significantly affected to improve students’ achievement in writing recount text. This strategy helped the writer to teach students’ in writing so that the students could write clearly.
TOTAL ∑X 1 = 1957,5 ∑X 2 = 2475 ∑D = 517 ∑D 2 =
5
25
29 TH 37,5 65 27,5 756,25
30 UMHP 60 87,5 27,5 756,25
31 ZZA
65
80 15 225
32 ZSOL 62,5 77,5 15 225
111181,75 Mean = M M 1 =61,17 M 2 = 77,34
70
From the table II, can be concluded that the use of Clustering Technique during the treatment influenced the achievement in writing recount text. To sum up, based on the data analysis, the writer found that there was an increasing of the students’ achievement in Witing recount text. It was proven by comparing the mean score of pre-test and post-test. The finding showed that there was a difference score of pre-test and post- test after given the treatments.To find out the significant difference, the writer used t- test formula. The calculation was as follows
= ̅ √∑
2 − (∑ )
2 ( − 1)
= 9.51 Based on calculation above the result of t-test was 9,51 which was higher than t- table with df = 0,05 with degree of freedom N
After counting the significant score of pre-test and post-test, the writer found the effectiveness of treatment. The computation of effect size is as follows :
= √
= 1,7 Based on the calculation above, the writer got 1,7 for the effect size which categorized as high with ES > 0,8 > (1,7 > 0,8). It meant that clustering technique had strong effect for improve students’ writing recount text.
Discussion
75
28 RAB
17 MZF 80 82,5 2,5 6,25
22 RAF
18 MZZ
60
65
5
25
19 MA 77,5 87,5 10 100
20 PA 57,5 85 27,5 756,25
21 PH 52,5 82,5 30 900
60
25
80 20 400
23 RAA 60 82,5 22,5 506,25
24 RAM 72,5 75 2,5 6,25
25 RJR 67,5 82,5 15 225
26 RP
60
75 15 225
27 RD 72,5 77,5
5
- –1 (32-1=31) that is 2,042 ( 9,51 > 2,042). It meant that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted because teaching writing recount text by using clustering technique significantly affect to improve writing achievement on the eighth grade of SMPN 8 Pontianak.
The pre-test was held on October 18th, 2016. The writer asked the students to write a simple recount text about holiday.
The title was Going to Alun-Alun Kapuas. In this pre-test, most of the students faced many difficulties. Firstly, they were difficult to develop their idea to make the recount text. Secondly, some of them quite understand what recount text is, including the definition and the generic structures of the text which consist of orientation, events, and reorientation. Thirdly, they did not know well on how to use of to be and in past tense. Finally , they had lack of vocabulary. It can be seen, there were some error in spelling, and the students opened their dictionary many times. In addition, there were some students who did not use the appropriate punctuation and capital letters in their composition well.
mean score of pre-test was 61,17.
The first treatment was held on October 19th, 2016. In this stage, the students still had the same problems as in the pre-test. In teaching and learning process, the students were divided into some groups that consist of four students. First of all, writer distributed them the example of simple recount text, the title was “My Holiday”.
Then, the writer asked students some questions related to the text. Some of the students could answer well but some students could not. After that, the writer gave them clear explanation about the text on the whiteboard. In doing the test, they made clustering technique. The title was “Going to Equator Monument”. First, the writer continually motivated them to develop their idea to make the text. And then, when the students felt confused to develop their idea to make the text, the writer introduced clustering technique, explained about what clustering technique was and how to make it on whiteboard.
The writer used different color to make this technique clear and interesting. Then, the writer asked every group to make it by themselves. To make the cluster, students followed the writer’s instructions on the whiteboard, then, the students together with the writer made the cluster itself. After that, the students made simple recount text based on clustering technique that they made before.
In this stage, the writer found some difficulties in teaching recount text by using clustering technique. The students’ basic knowledge about language feature and vocabulary gave significant influence. They asked for many times to the writer. At the end of the meeting, the writer asked them related to the material and gave the conclusion about learning process. In conclusion, the writer could not implement the technique well because it was the first experience for them to made simple recount text by using clustering technique.
The second treatment was held on October 25th, 2016. In this meeting, the writer asked the students to write about “Going to Mega Mall”. In teaching and learning process, the students were grouped in pars. At the end of the meeting, the students had better understanding on how to develop their idea to make recount text than the first treatment. Most of them could differentiate between simple present tense and simple past tense. But the writer always reminded the students in using capital letter, punctuation and spelling while writing their task. The students worked cooperatively with their pair. They helped each other in exploring the ideas. They also were not really. When the students made cluster, they still found the difficulty. As a result, the writer explained again and gave more examples. In this meeting, the writer could apply the procedures of clustering well.
These students’ problems influenced the result of the students’ score. The students’
The third treatment was held on October 26th, 2016. In this stage, the students had good understanding about recount text and the use of clustering technique in writing a simple recount text. The writer asked the students to write about “ Going to Tanjung Bajau Beach”.
They worked individually. The students were very motivated. Most of them did the task well and finished it on time.
The post-test was held on November 1st, 2016. The students were asked to write a simple recount text about “Going to Pasir Panjang Beach”. The instructions were the same as in pre-test. In this stage, most of the students had understood about recount text and the procedures in writing recount text by using clustering technique. The instruction were clear for them. They could do the task well. The students’ achievement can be seen from the result of the post-test score which was higher than pre- test. The students’ mean score of post- test was 77,34. The interval of both mean scores was 16,17. All of the students; score improved.
- –1 (32-1=31) that is 2,042 ( 9,51 > 2,042) which means that there was significance difference between the result of pre-test and post-test. The effect size which categorized as high with ES > 0,8 > (1,7 > 0,8). It means that clustering technique had strong effect to improve students’ writing recount text;
Then, the writer analyzed the significance of students’ interval score of pre-test and post-test by using t-test formula. Based on calculated the result of t-test is 9,51 which is higher than t-table with df = 0,05 with degree of freedom N
- –1 (32-1=31) that is 2,042 ( 9,51 > 2,042). It means that the use of clustering technique in teaching writing recount text had significant difference between pre-test and post-test and affects to improve writing achievement on the eighth grade of SMPN 8 Pontianak.
Furthermore, the writer calculated the effect of treatment by using formula of this effect size. the writer got 1,7 for the effect size which was categorized as high with ES > 0,8 > (1,7 > 0,8). It means that clustering technique had strong effect for improve students’ writing recount text. Based on the result, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) of this research was accepted and the null hypothesis (Ho) was rejected.
In conclusion, based on research findings, theoretical and related studies, teaching writing recount text by using clustering technique on the eighth grade students of SMPN 8 Pontianak in academic year 2016/2017 had significant effect to improve the students’ achievement in writing.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Conclusion
Referring to the research findings and the analysis of the students’ test result, the
writer drew conclusion as follow: (1) Teaching writing recount texts by using clustering technique significantly affected to improve writing achievement on the eighth grade of SMP N 8 Pontianak. It was shown by the result of t-test = 9,51 which is higher than t-table with df = 0,05 with degree of freedom N
(2)Teaching writing recount text by using clustering technique could improve the students’ achievement. It was shown by the students’ score in post-test which was high than pre-test. The mean score of pre- test was 61,17 and post-test was 77,36. The students’ achievement improved with the interval score of pre-test and post-test was 16,17.
Suggestion
Referring to the results of the research, the writer provides some constructive suggestions as follows: (1) Teachers are suggested to use clustering technique in teaching writing recount text, in order to help the students to visualize their idea to make a recount text themselves; (2) Teachers are suggested to use PowerPoint slide, in order to make students more interesting in learning writing recount text by using clustering technique; (3) Teacher must deliver the materials clearly in teaching learning process; (4) Students are suggested to apply clustering technique in writing; (5) Students are suggested to write more by applying the technique so that they will be more skillful in writing; (6)For the researchers who intend to conduct the research more detail about the use of clustering technique to teach writing, the writer hopes that the research findings can be used as a starting point of the future research.
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